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Some fantasy stars are slumping down the stretch

The normal late-season decline in overall scoring and stats has begun after a weekend full of mediocre scoring and slumping performances. Many of the good have gone bad and the bad are just not getting better.

The normal late-season decline in overall scoring and stats has begun after a weekend full of mediocre scoring and slumping performances. Many of the good have gone bad and the bad are just not getting any better.

Just look at some of the things that foiled fantasy owners in an unlucky Week 13:

The Green Bay Packers developed a running game.

This is reason to be concerned for Aaron Rodgers owners if not the Green Bay receivers as well. Rodgers has only averaged 229 passing yards a game over the last five weeks and thrown just one touchdown in each of the last two games. He doesn't have a single rushing TD all year. Over the last five games, the running backs have averaged 25 carries per week — including a 27-carry, 124-yard, one TD performance on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. This is not vintage Rodgers. This is more like vintage Mike Tomczak.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice continued to lose touches.

Rice had just 12 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown, plus one catch for five yards. Not a terrible fantasy game, but it's odd that Bernard Pierce had eight rushes for 34 yards . On the plus side, Rice isn't getting overworked, but Pierce is being more involved late in the season when fantasy owners need all-Rice, all-day.

Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray returned with a bang.

After sitting out six games and being limited in practice all week, Murray put up 102 total yards and a touchdown on 23 carries and four receptions. Meanwhile, Felix Jones returned to a support role with only seven runs for 26 yards. For owners making their playoffs, Murray should be a good start this week at the Cincinnati Bengals. He also faces the Saints in Week 16 when most leagues have their championship game.

The Oakland Raiders shuffled running backs a week early.

Little-used Jeremy Stewart (nine carries, 46 yards) was Oakland's leading rusher while Marcel Reece was limited to seven carries. The Raiders figure to have Darren McFadden back in time for the Thursday night game, which pushes everyone a step down the depth chart. Bringing McFadden back to play in two games over a span of five days was an unnecessary risk with the Denver Broncos showing up this week. As long as McFadden is healthy, none of the other running backs matter in Oakland.

Chris Givens went from being a deep threat who never had more than five catches in a game to being the possession receiver (11 catches, 92 yards) against the San Francisco 49ers. Danny Amendola was scratched and Givens took over his new role with excellent results. This is a great time for him to gain chemistry with QB Sam Bradford with the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the horizon.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald hit a new low.

The 29-year old Fitzgerald is still in his prime and had topped 1,000 yards in each of the last five seasons. But the lack of any offense around him has finally silenced the talented star. He had just one catch for 23 yards against the New York Jets, and over his last three games has five catches for 65 yards and no scores. Even with no-name quarterbacks, Fitzgerald has at least been able to carve out respectable seasons, but not anymore .

49ers kicker David Akers missed a game-winning field goal in overtime.

After setting a single-season record for points by a kicker in 2011, Akers was the first kicker drafted in almost every league . This year? He has converted just 21 of 30 field goal attempts — and at 7.9 points a game , he ranks 13th . Remember this in the summer of 2013: Do NOT take a kicker early . They do not repeat.

Meanwhile, playoff-seeking fantasy teams did find a few rays of light among this past week's many disappointments:

After catching 13 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, Johnson set a record with five consecutive games of at least 125 yards . He is on a pace for 1,904 yards on the season, which would break Jerry Rice's record of 1848 in 1995 .

Denver Broncos tight end Jacob Tamme had his second straight big game.

With WR Brandon Stokley out, the Broncos went with two tight-end sets and that benefited Tamme. Quarterback Peyton Manning threw 13 passes to his ex-Colts teammate, but those came at the expense of wideout Eric Decker. After being a major cog in the passing game for the first nine weeks, Decker has been held to nine catches in his last four games, including just one in Week 13 against Tampa Bay. Tamme's involvement was more about the formations and what the defense allowed, but it all bodes poorly for Decker. Demaryius Thomas is a constant each week, but no other Broncos receivers are.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson rose to the occasion.

All Wilson did in an upset win in Chicago was turn in the best quarterback performance by any Bears opponent this year. Only one other quarterback had ever thrown for as many as two scores on the Bears — and never more than one at home . But Wilson threw two touchdown passes (including the game-winner in overtime) to extend his multiple-score streak to five games . Wilson spent the first half of his rookie season mostly handing off and managing the game. He's spending the second half scoring and winning games — even on the road.